Moving North Again

July 18 We left our very tight camp at Indian Creek and made our way north. Back on the road and tired of driving already. Plus I miss the beach too. We're headed for home but I'm not looking forward to getting back. I'm going to have to deal with rental properties and maybe some evictions. After the tenants are gone (they haven't been paying rent) I'll need to do some work in the apartments to get them back into rental shape.
I say that I am not looking forward to working on them like I normal do because I have lost much of the range of motion in my left hip so I can no longer bend over. I developed heterotopic ossification in the hip and the femur has permanently attached itself to the hip socket. Yeah it sucks. I can't bend over to put on my shoe and sock but you guys don't want to hear me whine. Back to the show!
I decided to take a different way instead of I-75 around Tampa. Google maps gave me an alternate route and we enjoyed some back roads.

We got close to Ocala and dinner time. I was tired of driving and just wanted a break so when I spied the sign for Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing I knew it was a good place to stop. Garrett goes with his family to Norwalk, Ohio every year for the NHRA drags so I knew he would appreciate this as well. Patrick is always interested in looking at cars. Becky said she would stay in the truck and cook dinner.
We got there at 4 and the place closes at 5 so it would be a quick tour. We were done in under an hour. It was an interesting place to stop and see old drag cars. If you're into drag racing it's worth the stop if not I would keep on trucking.

A giant wall of carburetors and intakes

An engine that exploded.

This car was of interesting note because the engine was built by Lee Petty, Richard Petty's father. Who's Richard Petty? 7 Time NASCAR champion

 This statue is in front of the parking lot as you come up the drive from the road. It is a drag car standing on its back wheels like Don did during a race. The car did a flip in mid air and landed on its wheels and he drove away. Here's a YouTube video: Don Garlits Blow Over The statue is dedicated to men and women inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame.

I was down looking at the statue and Becky was finishing up dinner when a car pulled up beside the trailer and yelled that we were going to get locked in if we stayed any longer. We hustled into the truck. Becky brought dinner into the truck with her but it wasn't fully cooked yet. Fortunately it was pot of beans, rice and sausage. The guy closed the gate as we drove away.
We stopped at a gas station with a Florida Citrus stand. Becky finished supper and the boys hopped out. I stayed in the truck because it looked like it was blowing up a nasty storm.
After we ate, we decided to go over to the stand and see the baby gators they were advertising. As I was getting out of the truck, it started to rain. I closed the truck door but it didn't close all the way because the lift cord sagged and prevented it from closing. I opened the door, moved the cord and slammed the door. The door bounced back open and wouldn't latch. Now I was irritated, it was raining, the door wasn't closing and I didn't know what was wrong.
After some trouble shooting in the pouring rain. I discovered that the door latch had shut and hadn't opened properly. About this time Becky brought an umbrella over and I was able to push the latch back open with the key while holding the door handle out. Argle Bargle!
We found the boys in one of the orange stands but the wrong one so we had to hike over to another citrus stand and inside we found baby gators.

There were three of these little guys in an aquarium.

A stuffed thirteen footer. That'll fetch $500 at the buyers Troy. On the pole behind the gator is an albino boa constrictor.

 We settled the night at a Camping World of Valdosta, Georgia. They had a huge park behind the CW and the site were $22 a night for Good Sam members.

July 19 We left Valdosta for a run up I-75 and through the dreaded ATL. I stayed on 75 the whole way through and didn't have much of a problem. We ended the day at Becky's aunt and uncle's in Cleveland, TN.

July 20 was another road day up I-75. We stopped at Oak Creek Campground.